CONTEST! Happy Canada Day Eh?

As Canada Day approaches, we are reminded of all of the things that make our nation great: freedom, equality, a good health care system, beer, hockey, poutine, maple syrup; the list goes on and on and on and on!

BUT, there are also several misconceptions about Canadians that are believed to be completely true by non-Canadians: We live in igloos; we have polar bears for pets; “Sorry” is the number one word in our vocabulary; we are always saying things like “EH!” and “Oot and aboot”; Beavers and moose roam our yards; there is a Tim Hortons on every street corner; etc, etc.

It’s easy for “out-of-towners” to get lost in all of the stories and internet posts and eventually end up believing them, but honestly it’s a bit comical. Can you imagine waking up in the morning to a polar bear whining and pawing at your face for you to wake up and feed him breakfast? Can you even imagine waking up to a bear in your house?! I think I would pee my pants! Fortunately, in addition to being “sorry” all the time, we Canadians are also a forgiving people. So here it is, a list of all of the great things that actually are true about Canada (in no specific order):

Patriotism – If you live in Canada, chances are you love living in Canada! On Canada Day, people go out in throngs to celebrate “our home and native land”, usually with grand displays of fireworks, a red & white wardrobe, LOTS of beer, facepaint, fake tattoos, and time spent with friends!

Poutine – Do you like fries? Gravy? Cheese? If you answered yes to these questions, then you will LOVE poutine. If you haven’t yet tried a Real Canadian Poutine (the fast food joints just don’t stack up), then you should try making your own! It’s so easy to make, and SO delicious!

BEER – Any American can attest: beer is better in Canada. Though the alcohol limits in each country are very similar, it is well known that American beer is usually closer to 4% alcohol content, while Canadian popular beer brands are closer to the 5-6% alcohol content range. What does this mean? Less beer to get your buzz on = more cash in your wallet!

Wildlife – Even though we don’t have moose and bears roaming through our yards, we do have several national parks to roam in and the chances of seeing at least some form of wildlife on a weekend away in the mountains is very high! The most popular park animals are: elk, white-tailed deer, black bears, big-horned sheep, moose, and on occasion a grizzly bear, though they prefer to stay far away from the sounds that we humans make!

black bear, Ursus americanus, resting on an old growth log in the rainforest, Olympic National Park, Olympic Peninsula, Washington

COLD winters, HOT summers! One of the benefits of living up north is the weather. You have to be able to put up with -40C a few days out of the year, but in return, you get to have amazingly hot summers!

We invented basketball! Well, James Naismith invented basketball in 1891. If you want to learn more, you can visit the Naismith Museum in Almonte, Ontario!

We are funny! Some very well-known comedians call Canada home, including: Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Russell Peters, John Candy, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Nielsen, to name a few.

Music! We are home to a diverse group of musicians, ranging from Deadmau5 to Shania Twain to Anne Murray. We are proud to have lots of talented musicians call Canada home, including: Michael Buble, Justin Beiber, The Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Nickelback, k.d. lang, Celine Dion, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot, Avril Lavigne, Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, and Arcade Fire. (And that’s just to name a few!)

Our money! We are well known around the world for our bright, colourful money, and we wouldn’t have it any other way! Plus, despite the government denying the “maple syrup rumours”, I have smelled a new crisp $100 bill and it certainly does smell like maple syrup!

HOCKEY! (and lacrosse) Our national pastime is hockey, with approximately 50% of NHL players calling our grand country home! Canada houses 7 NHL teams: Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Montreal Canadians. We also have 3 NLL teams: Edmonton Rush, Calgary Roughnecks, and Toronto Rock! The NLL is getting bigger every year, and is SO fun to watch! I highly recommend seeing a lacrosse game if you can manage to get tickets!

Now I am well aware that I have barely scratched the surface of what makes Canada so great, but it can’t go on forever, so we will finally get to the contest details. In order to enter this contest to win a $25 gift card to Canadian Tire (our most Canadian shopping experience), tell us:

What makes you proud to be Canadian?

It could be your patriotism, your support of your local community, your love of poutine, or perhaps you identify with one of the common misconceptions about Canada.. I know I find myself saying EH on occasion. What is your defining Canadian feature?

CONTEST! Happy Canada Day Eh?

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122 Comments

We have a perfect country to be who we want to be . We can enjoy many different avenues and can express ourselves . It is great to see our country becoming great again with our new federal government. We also have so much natural beauty in our lands and talents within the inhabitants

Everything makes me proud to be Canadian. Our wide open spaces, our beautiful nature/wild life, our friendly open people, our tolerance… Canada is just a beautiful country with beautiful people and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!

I am proud to be Canadian because of the way we are like a big family. We work together to make life better for everyone. If there is a disaster Canadians are ready to help each other, if there is a celebration we all celebrate and we are very accepting of all people in general. I am also proud of how beautiful our country is.

I’m proud to be a Canadian because we Canadians know we are the best country, but never feel the need to disrespect other countries, we welcome everyone into our beautiful home and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am a proud Canadian because of the freedom we have in Canada, and the diversity of this Country makes me proud to call myself a Canadian. We have healthcare, what more can we ask for. Thanks for the chance to win

I am proud to be Canadian because of our kind tolerant attitudes. Because of our Healthcare system that ensures every one has access to the care they need. Because its beautiful and peaceful here. Because our collective national pride warms my heart. I could go on all day…. Canada rocks !

Our country is beautiful and life can be so good here, but what makes me most proud is that so many of us Canadians reach out to those less fortunate, the hungry, the disadvantaged and realize that no matter how little we have, we have so much more than some. We have so much to give be it donations, volunteering or our time, encouragement, a kind word, a smile. I see Canadians helping Canadians everywhere I go and my heart is proud!

I am proud to be Canadian because we have such a diverse country which allows us to learn so much! I am also proud because anywhere else you go in the world they always say, Canadians are so nice, which is a great reputation to have!

I’m proud that Canadians are accepting of people regardless of where they were born, who they were born to and/or how much money they have. People are generally accepted for who they are on the inside. And that we’re so giving. Case in point, this giveaway!

We are one of the worlds top countries for freedom and are a lesson for all nations on how to live to live together in a muti-cultural society in a peaceful and harmonious manner.We have problems,yes,but not the divisions and outright hatred of others that are experienced in many other countries with large scale immigration.There 129 different dialects spoken by children at my neighbourhood public school here in Parkdale.I interact and learn the stories and history of people from so very many nations living here.It is a real joy for me to know that people are people no matter where they come from and that its mass media and politics that seek to divide us.Deep down we all want the same things.A happy and safe life for ourselves and our loved ones.Whether you were born here or immigrated here,it doesn’t matter.You won the lottery of life living in this nation.I feel blessed.

Hand in hand we stand across our land. Diverse languages and customs abound and make our Nation strong. We are blessed from the east coast to the west, with an abundance of beautifully crafted natural landscapes. I am PROUD to say I am CANADIAN and stand in awe of this country of ours!

I love that we have the basics that so many other countires don’t have – clean water, housing, enough food, etc. I realize that Canada isn’t perfect, and that some people don’t have a home or enough food….but, for most people, we do have the basic needs met. And that isn’t true for most of the world. So many 3rd world countires, where simple things like water are virtually impossible for everyone…..so sad. Here, most of us have access to the basics. And I’m very pround of that.

Love being a Canadian eh! The people from coast to coast are special, happy, industrious and proud.We are a multicultural nation that leads the way for peace and we Canadians stand for freedom! I love the opportunities that this freedom allows us.We can do and be anything in our
careers and that alone is just amazing.This is the land of opportunity!

I’m proud that Canada is a safe place to live . I know there are always exceptions and not everyone here lives as safely as I do, but it’s something we deffinitely take for granted and something worth being proud of.

I am proud to be Canadian because it is a great country that cares about its citizens, with good medical health care, and strict gun control so we don’t have the type of violence that we see too often on the news nowadays. I believe our country is a tolerant one, that we welcome different religions and ethnicity, and there are opportunities for all in this wonderful and scenic land, and we co-exist rather peacefully despite any differences. Canadians are one of a kind, we look out for each other, help and support each other, and we should all be very proud to be Canadians, and live in a country that has freedom, great education, and a safe place to live and raise our children in.